Double Dog Dare
by N-AngelFire
Summary: Sakura, truth or dare?" "Dare." I said stupidly. "I double dog dare you to stalk Itachi until you find out his deepest secret!" Oh crap... Non-massacre AU ItaSaku


I realized that all the starring men in my stories are Sasuke… SOOOOO I decided to work with my girl Sakura, and have a new man. That's right, Itachi! Haha… aren't I creative? I must have an obsession with Uchiha.

**It's weird. I still hate watching/reading Naruto but I read the fanfics anyway. Some of these are so darned addictive. Must…read…more… -drools-**

**Oh btw, this is an AU fic. It's still in the Narutoverse, the only difference is Itachi didn't massacre his clan. He's the head of Anbu in this story. That's right. Whatcha gonna do 'bout that? **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, or 007, are you HAPPY? HUH? Jerk…**

**-**

**-**

Agent 007 was on the move again. With leaps and bounds she cleared the rooftops, her movements catlike and graceful. '_dun, dun, dun, duuun!'_ I hummed inwardly. This was one part of being a ninja I loved the most, the travel. I loved the feeling of swinging through trees. I now understood why Tarzan longed to be an ape instead of a plain old human.

I, Agent 007, am not just any ninja. I'm a medic and a member of the ORIGINAL Team 7. You might've heard about us in folk songs, and cereal commercials. Okay, maybe we're the center of gossip. Everyone thinks we'd make a hot love triangle. I think everyone else is crazy.

My real name is not Agent 007. It's Sakura, Haruno Sakura. I only recently started addressing myself as 007 when I was given the mission to top all missions. –cue dramatic music-

It's not a 'real' mission, as in assigned by Tsunade but it's real enough to me. My job is to find out Itachi's deepest secret, and then publicize it for the amusement of villagers.

I was first assigned this mission –cough- dare yesterday evening during our little reunion/sleepover. All the kunoichi from my grade were gathered in Hyuga Hinata's large expanse of space she calls a room. I was seated on her bed; playing with stuffed bear she nicknamed Naru-chan when Ino called out "Hey Sakura! Truth or Dare?"

For those unfamiliar with the game, those three words can mean life or death. In my case it was death, but I'm competitive enough to take the job. I have super strength, can heal myself at a moment's notice, and I'm really good at controlling my chakra. What did I have to fear? I could beat almost any ninja in a sparring match.

"Dare!" I called out in a moment of bravery/stupidity.

"I double dog dare you to stalk Uchiha Itachi until you find out his deepest secret!"

My blood had run cold. Double dog dare… the most powerful of dares. Uchiha Itachi? THE Uchiha Itachi? Surely they were insane! Maybe I was insane; it'd explain why I was scanning everyone's chakra, looking for his particular flow. It had the same energy, the same power as a sannin. I would know I'm an apprentice under one.

I could sense extra powerful chakra coming from the right. I flung myself into the air, spiraling as I landed. It was totally unnecessary but very cool looking. I landed lightly on my feet, my sharp eyes searching. There.

I leapt across several more roofs until I reached the person from whom the enormous chakra was coming from. It was a male. My heart leapt to my throat.

Unfortunately it was just Jiraiya. He was crouching on the top of someone's air conditioner, his black binoculars in place as they zoomed in on a woman bathing. Pervert. Then again, what kind of dumb woman bathes right by a window? It was like she wanted to be watched. I shuddered. "JIRAIYA YOU'RE A PERVERT!"

There was a sparkle in the sky as I sent him flying. I smiled, dusting my pants off. Nothing was more satisfactory than punching a pervert.

One chakra down, two more to go, unless you count Orochimaru. I shuddered again. Just the mere thought of the creep was enough to give me goose bumps. He tried messing with me and my kickass team during our first Chuunin exams. Apparently he hadn't given up his quest for power. Anyway my kickass team did what we do best and kicked his ass, but then he tried attacking one more time. Itachi killed him on the second attack, but only managed to moments after he killed the Third Hokage.

The sound Village still messes with us occasionally. They swore to get revenge on us for 'destroying our great and handsome leader'. If I were them I'd be sending thank you notes and gift cards.

Anyway… I traveled through the rooftops and nearly smacked into Gai sensei. I didn't ask him what he was doing, but he answered me anyway. "Just flexing the old muscles!" he boasted, giving me a visual aid. I clapped my hands over my eyes and ran off, leaving him to flex in front of the poor old lady folding her laundry.

The rooftops grew plainer and plainer as I came near the Uchiha district. You can always tell when you're in their territory the air gets tense. The whole family is uptight and anal. I avoid all Uchiha's at all costs (with the exceptions of a few, namely Sasuke)

I decided walking on the dusty path would be a lot safer than jumping around the rooftops. Besides being uptight, The Uchiha were very paranoid. I can count on my fingers and toes how many ninja they've 'accidentally' hospitalized. The excuses were all the same "I thought he was an assassin." …right.

An older woman I recognized from Sasuke's birthday party nodded to me. I nodded in return. 007 was going incognito. No more sneaking around for me. I smoothed down my black leather pants. I had changed my usual outfit to an all leather bodysuit. Thankfully I wore a white tank-top under my jacket. I threw the jacket aside, feeling somewhat relieved. Agent 007 was about to suffocate.

I pulled my hair out of the severe ponytail. That would've looked suspicious, even more suspicious than my 007 meets Gai bodysuit. I relaxed as my hair swung past my shoulders and brushed my mid-back. So far so good, now all I need to do is find Itachi.

Le-gasp! Behold! Hearken! Oh whatever, THERE HE WAS! He was standing outside somebody's house talking to his Father. They looked so different yet so alike in their stern expressions. His eyes were pitch black, like his younger brother's only more intense.

Honestly, I could stare at him all day.

I gasped. I couldn't just stand there and stare! I'd look like a stalker…despite the fact that I am one. I looked around desperately for an alibi. It came in the form of Sasuke. He was walking down the road towards me. He passed his father and brother, nodding at them. What was with the Uchiha and nodding? Couldn't they just say 'hey' like normal people? Then again, they aren't normal people. They're in charge of the police and the most powerful clan in Konoha, rivaled only by the Hyuga.

Once he was close enough I raced towards him, forcing a smile on my face. "Sasuke-kun! Hey!"

He raised an eyebrow "Sakura, hi." He was used to the random affection. Sasuke was never the most social person in the world, but he's pretty open with Naruto and I. He hates all fan girls. I used to be his number one fan girl, until I got to know him. Sasuke is downright awesome, but he's a better brother. I CAN admire his good looks though.

I threw my arms around him, pulling him close. I covertly watched Itachi. NO! He was leaving! His dark eyes met mine for a brief moment before he turned abruptly.

I could almost hear Ino cackling in my mind. I shoved the voice aside, along with Sasuke. He stared down at me confused. "Sakura?"

"Sorry buddy! Gotta Run! Dun, dun, dun, duuuun!" I ran off, one fist in front of the other like Superman.

-

-

Itachi had strange walking patterns. It was like he had nothing important to do today, which was weird. He was almost always on a super-secret, uber-cool mission. He was wearing his anbu uniform, showing off his lean muscles and tall masculine build. Whoa, since when did I use words like 'lean' or 'masculine'? I was starting to sound like a Harlequin Romance.

I followed him from the rooftops, flattening myself against them whenever he angled his head in my direction. You could never be too safe with Uchiha.

Itachi was talking with a woman at a jewelry booth. Did he have a secret obsession? Did he dress in drag when no one was looking? The suspense…

I leaned in closer, hoping to hear their conversation. I could faintly catch a few words like "…flower…money…girl…" he had a girl! Was this his deepest, darkest secret?

"MY BEAUTIFUL, YOUTHFUL FLOWER! HOW ARE YOU ON THIS GLORIOUSLY YOUTHFUL DAY?!"

I yowled like a cat, flying sixteen feet into the air. Itachi turned sharply. I hooked Rock Lee by the neck and dragged him down beside me.

"MY FLOWER!" he yelled, shocked "THIS IS HARDLY DECENT FOR THIS POINT IN OUR RELATIONSHI-" I slapped a hand tightly over his mouth. I needed to get out of there, fast. I searched for a form of escape. I'd need to distract Itachi somehow. He'd surely get suspicious and investigate.

I glared at Rock Lee whose mouth I was still covering. "Sorry Lee." I whispered before hurtling him over the edge. I winced at the loud crash followed by a woman screaming.

Agent 007 disappeared faster than you can say 'youthful'.

-

-

Later that afternoon I spotted him at a sushi stand. I could either A. survey from the rooftops, which failed miserably. Or B. play it cool. What would 007 do? WW0D? It's the new craze. The real 007 would definitely go with plan B, and then kill everyone there.

I strolled around the street, pretending to be searching for options. "Oh! A sushi joint!" I clapped my hands, sounding like a little kid at Christmas.

I skipped over to the restaurant and yanked the door open. I was calm, confident, and totally about to eat sushi. I looked just like a regular patron too…if regular patrons ducked behind counters and army-crawled to a booth that is.

I slid to my booth, straightening up and smoothing my hair. He hadn't even noticed! Yeah! I punched a fist in the air. A server was a foot away, standing still with his foot suspended in midair. His jaw was hanging. I looked around. The entire restaurant was staring at me, minus one.

I smiled charmingly at all the patrons, waving like I won a beauty contest. They continued staring. Oh, _whatever. _You can't please some people.

I took note of Itachi's order. It was a rather large order of sushi. SOMEBODY'S a pig. He turned his head slightly. I ducked, knocking my head on my glass of water. Ow… I clutched my throbbing temple, easing healing chakra into it until the pain began to subside. #1 Rule of being a 007: Always watch your surroundings, otherwise you may not notice your target placing his sushi in a to-go box and disappear while you writhe in agony.

-

-

I cursed myself for losing my target. Now how was I supposed to win the slumber-party bet? Everyone knows those are far more important than the Hokage's missions! If you refuse a Hokage mission, you can be fined or jailed. Refuse a dare and you are talked about for life.

My legs were growing sore from the strenuous exercise. I had already scanned the training grounds and decided the Hokage's tower was the best place to check. There were a few jounin hanging around, awaiting their missions. I recognized a few of my friends.

"Sakura! Did you complete your mission?" Ino called with a conspicuous wink. Thank you Ino for making my mission obvious. THIS is why 007 works alone…sometimes.

"Not yet." I ground out, stalking past her. I had to literally push her to get through the doorway. I ignored the rest of the ninja. I singled out Naruto who was leaning against a wall, talking to his girlfriend. He had grown taller than me over the years, his spiky blonde hair adding to his height. Thankfully he changed his outfit to a nearly all black one with orange stripes. It was better than his blinding, neon jumpsuit which, let's face it, was visible from five miles away.

"Hello Naruto," I smiled pleasantly, stopping once I had approached them "Hello Hinata." The shy girl blushed and gave a tiny wave. "Have either of you seen the Uchiha?"

"You mean Sasuke?" Naruto asked loudly, drawing looks from everyone. Almost every villager expected me to marry him.

I fought the urge to slap my forehead. I turned to Hinata instead "Have you?" I gave her a look clearly saying 'you know who I'm talking about so spill or your boyfriend gets it in the pants.'

Hinata gave her usual sweet smile, her gray eyes wide "Yes. He p-passed by a f-f-few moments ago."

"Thank you." At least SOMEBODY was helpful.

I walked up the long flight of steps to the Hokage's office. I didn't bother knocking, 007 was granted access everywhere! I shoved the doors open, forgetting that people sometimes like leaning against said doors… people like Hyuga Neji.

"OH MY GOD! MY EYE!" he howled.

Oops. I forgot about that one piece of wood that stuck out a little more, the piece of wood that probably poked poor Neji in the eye. "Are you alright?" I hurried in the room towards his hunched over figure.

"DO I LOOK ALRIGHT!"

"So that's a no…" I chuckled nervously. He was holding a hand to said eye, while glaring hatred at me with the other. "Drink up me hearties yo-ho?" I joked.

"Heal it so I can kill you." Some people obviously don't appreciate pirate humor.

"Um…" The options weren't that attractive. "Okay."

I gently moved his hand and winced. Wow, I really did a number on his eye. What was it doing there in the first place? Not in his socket, but right beside the… oh whatever. I covered it with my hand, the green chakra making it glow. "It'll be okay…" I whispered soothingly, instantly going into medic mode. It wasn't that bad, but it would be pretty painful if I didn't help.

After one or two minutes I pulled away. "There! As good as new!" I hoped my super healing abilities and perky attitude would render him more forgiving.

The look he gave me quickly killed those hopes. "Haruno…" he growled.

I took a wary step back. I was suddenly aware of the other people in the office, watching this ensuing drama like they had nothing better to do with their lives. That's a pretty ordinary occurrence in Konoha, but usually the Hokage does have something better to do with her life. "Hokage-sama!" I bowed respectfully, all the while inching away from the furious Hyuga. I used to think he was scary back when he was thirteen, but at age twenty one he was even more frightening.

"Sakura." The Hokage sounded more amused than she ought to "Nice to see you." She began coughing, covertly hiding a chuckle.

My green eyes narrowed. "I came to see…" I caught sight of Itachi and my voice trailed off. I quickly snapped out of my trance "You."

"That's nice." Tsunade said curtly "As you can see I'm a little busy now."

"Oh I understand." I nodded once, twice, then a third time for extra emphasis. "You giving him a new mission?"

"How is that any of your business?" Neji asked from behind me. His eye was fully healed, but he kept a hand to it anyway.

He had me there. I shrugged, feigning casualness. "It isn't." I said bluntly "I'm just curious."

"And clumsy." Neji coughed from behind me.

Itachi was watching the whole time, his face impassive. It was hard reading him. He wasn't one of those people who wore their hearts on their sleeves. He stood, his posture impeccably correct, and stared. I wished for that brief moment that I could read minds.

"Yes." Itachi spoke for the first time that day. Okay maybe he spoke before, but this was the first time he spoke to me. 007 status aside, I inwardly squealed like a little girl. "I actually do have one. I'm leaving tomorrow."

I felt chagrined. Tomorrow? So soon? "Oh. Sounds exciting."

"Hn." And everyone wonders where Sasuke gets his vocabulary.

I gave him a weak smile before turning to Tsunade. "I can tell when I'm not wanted." I inched my way towards the door "I'll stop by later tonight."

NO! NO I WOULD NOT! I wanted to read his file, dammit! I waved to Itachi and Shizune before making my hasty exit…or what looked like an exit. I secretly went into someone else's office, rounded out the window, and planted myself on a tree outside Tsunade's office. I would wait.

-

-

My legs were cramping, big time. I had no idea he'd spend TWO HOURS in The Hokage's office. What was he doing in there? His mission couldn't have been that important! It was difficult, fully seeing them. Itachi was standing and Tsunade seated, her fingers forming a cradle to hold her face up as she listened. Whatever he had to say must've been pretty important, because he took all day.

I couldn't help but notice how extremely H. O. T. he was. It's not like it's a big secret. Everyone knows he's Konoha's sexiest and most available bachelor. Add the fact that he had a nearly identical younger brother and you had a chick magnet. Hell, he was an icon.

God he was gorgeous…and on the move again.

I stiffened as he exited her office. I swung over to a tree near the entryway. Thank heavens for all these trees; they sure came in handy sometimes. After about two minutes he exited the door coolly, drawing stares from everyone. People like him were meant to be stared at. He was a powerful force of nature, drawing people to and away from him.

Itachi stood still for a second before disappearing.

I fell out the tree.

-

-

Target Status: Blissfully somewhere other than where he should be.

007 Status: In search of Target. Head is pounding mercilessly. In need of a good sake.

This was so freaking weird! Usually I run into Itachi all the time! Seriously, he's everywhere! Now the one day I need him he's gone and disappeared on me.

He and I sometimes spent days training together. It wasn't a regular occurrence though. Between his rabid fan girls and his missions we rarely saw each other. He was a helpful training partner, polite, distant, and correcting me when necessary.

_*Flashback, because we all love them_

"_Ne Sakura!" Naruto whined, stamping his foot childishly "Why do YOU always get to train with Teme's brother?"_

_Sasuke barely paid attention to his best friend. He was curious too. "Yes, why do you?" he gave me a look indicating that he wanted an answer._

_I sighed. I had just returned from an extensive taijutsu training with Itachi. He was good, very good. Better than Rock Lee even. "Because…"_

"_-she needs help." A silky voice said from behind me, making me jump a good two feet in the air. Sasuke's eyes widened in surprise and Naruto's jaw was dragging on the ground. Ew. "You aren't providing the challenge she needs to better herself."_

_I hadn't heard him sneak up behind me. What kind of ninja was I? "Um… what he said."_

_Itachi was standing beside me now, dressed in his usual training outfit, black shirt black pants. Sasuke's clothes were freakishly similar. I could only hope he'd develop a better fashion sense as time goes on. His worship of his older brother is obvious to everyone in Konoha. It's almost cute how he follows him around, all the while looking uncaring of course. Yet another trait he picked up from his big brother._

"_I could train you!" Naruto puffed out his chest, looking like a bull frog with bad digestion "I have special abilities after all." He said, referring to the demon inside him. Honestly, the demon freaked me out at first, but after a while I realized he was still the same old Naruto._

"_They can't be that special if you still lose to me." Sasuke cut in._

_I stifled a giggle. I was aware of Itachi glancing down at me. I ignored my heating cheeks "You guys…" I shook my head fondly "I love training with you, but Itachi is very helpful. Without him I wouldn't be as strong as I am today." I gave him a grateful smile. He quickly averted his eyes. "Anyway, I have to go to the hospital. Tsunade AKA the wicked old witch wants me to recover some ancient old scroll."_

"_If it's that ancient she probably wrote it in her younger years." Naruto joked._

_I laughed, even though it wasn't that funny. I laugh almost all the time. The only time I never laughed was when Rock Lee proclaimed his undying love for me. Those eyebrows… I shuddered. "Probably." I agreed "I'll catch you guys later." I tossed my training gear to Sasuke "Drop these off at my apartment, will you?"_

_He nodded. Once again, I could feel Itachi's gaze. He probably thought I was Sasuke's potential love interest and wanted to protect his brother. Typical. Sweet, but typical. "Later." I waved, preparing to give a totally smooth exit. I tripped over a pebble._

_SERIOUSLY! WHAT'S WITH ALL THE FRIGGIN PEBBLES AND TRIPPING PEOPLE?_

_Itachi caught my arm, saving me from an embarrassing face plant. "Thanks." I rubbed my head, fully aware of the rough heat encircling my arm._

"_No problem."_

_I left before any of those scary pebbles could attack me again._

_*End (meaningless) flashback_

Now, where was he? I leaned against a pole, sighing at the happy memory. I had a lot of similar memories with my team. Kakashi sensei sometimes left training periods to the older Uchiha, claiming he had somewhere better to be. One day we followed him to a karaoke bar where he belted out pop hits to a vividly responsive crowd. Jealous, Naruto tried copying him and was literally carried off stage…by an angry mob.

"Where are you?" I asked softly. It was evening time by now. The sun was just setting, leaving a pink glow over the horizon and lighting the Hokage's face in its dim light. Parents called their children in for dinner; shinobi hurried to and from missions, and 007 was utterly depressed.

My target was nowhere to be seen. I was going to be gossiped about for years to come. I could just hear Ino describing my cowardice to my comrades. Oh wait, that's because she's walking by right now.

Tenten was walking with her, arm looped through hers, listening attentively. "Wow. I would've thought she'd have gotten the information by now, especially since-" she caught sight of me "Oh hi Sakura!"

Was it me, or was there a false note in her voice? My eyes narrowed but I approached her anyway. "Hello Tenten, Ino." I glowered at my best friend "Nice to see you two gossiping about me…again."

"We've got nothing better to talk about." Ino shrugged carelessly.

Tenten elbowed her in the ribs "Well it is interesting."

"Yeah," I nodded agreeably "I just wish I could find him."

"Last time I saw him he was at his family's house." Ino informed. For once she was being helpful instead of a pain in the ass.

"What were you doing down there?" I asked instead of thanking her as she expected. I saw the flash of guilt and embarrassment in her eyes. "You were stalking Sasuke again?" I groaned. She was one of many girls from my graduating class who still faithfully stalked my teammate. The only time he got any privacy was on missions, and even then the time was limited. I felt so sorry for him. He was like a brother to me, a really attractive half-brother.

"I can't help it!"

Tenten shook her head despairingly "That's so sad."

"Says the girl who still pines after Neji." Was Ino's retort.

"Low blow…" I said disapprovingly "Anywho, thanks for the tips chicas. Now if you'll excuse me, the game is afoot!" And away I went.

-

-

The game was so not afoot. He was in a family meeting. How did I know? Well my old pal Sasuke managed to walk me inside the house. I didn't even have to sneak, because everyone saw us together so much.

"You owe me." He grunted, already figuring out half my plan.

I gave him an impish grin "That I do. Next time Ino approaches I'll get her in a headlock."

"You'd better."

I looped my arm through his as we passed several closed doors. I could hear muted voices. One of them belonged to Itachi. I stiffened. Sasuke could feel it. He sighed. "Here?" he asked wearily.

"You're the best." I leaned up and pecked his cheek in one of my many shows of affection. Just then the door adjacent to us slid open. It was my target…of course. Why do guys always walk in at the wrong moments? He probably thought I was giving Sasuke some good old fashioned Haruno lovin'. I groaned inwardly, and judging by Sasuke's facial expression he was probably doing the same thing.

"Sakura, Sasuke." Itachi acknowledged us, his face carefully blank although I could swear I saw his eyes narrow faintly at his younger brother. Why did he always go blank on us like that? Did he think I'd make an awful girlfriend or something? "Did you two want something?"

"Money, power, the usual." I listed. I paused a second later. "Omigod. I did not just say that." I clasped my hands over my mouth, mortified.

Sasuke rolled his eyes "No she was just visiting." He was such a talented liar, much better than I was anyway. I could see why we were frequently paired for missions. I had all the feminine charm, and he had all the language skills. "She wanted to look around the house again, you know how nosy she is."

"Hello?" I cut in "She's right here listening to you."

Sasuke ignored me "Were you busy?"

Itachi, who had been listening impassively the whole time, slowly shook his head. I had the strange sudden urge to push aside the stray bangs that brushed his perfect face. "I was just leaving." Was it me, or did his voice sound a little strained? What was bothering him? I stared up at him curiously.

He ignored my gaze, turned swiftly, and walked away. We both watched his retreat. Sasuke's face was smooth, impartial while I was fighting back a shriek of impatience.

"There he goes." Sasuke said.

"Thank you, captain obvious." I growled, "Now I'll never get it!"

For the first time in ages, my Uchiha teammate looked intrigued. "Get what?" he asked in a voice which clearly said 'tell me or I will use you as a human punching bag next training session.'

"Um… well…" 007 would never tell his mission, especially not to the target's brother. "INODAREDMETOSTALKITACHIALLDAYUNTILIFINDOUTHISDEEPESTSECRET!" 007's secret mission came out in a loud blur. I was pretty sure our friends in Suna could hear me.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, mentally going over what I just yelled, dissecting it until it all made sense. "You took a dare from Ino?"

"It was really dumb."

"You're telling me." He scoffed "You don't know what his deepest secret is?" Uh oh, I didn't like that sudden gleam in his eyes. It was mocking, amused, and kind of despairing. "For the Hokage's assistant you sure are dumb."

"I AM NOT DUMB!"

Sasuke shook his head slowly; a dark chuckle escaped his lips. "You really are an idiot. Go stalk him some more; I'm sure he'll tell you, that is if he doesn't kill me first. You probably shouldn't have kissed my cheek." With those wonderful words of wisdom, he was off. What was with the Uchiha and dramatic exits? Why did they all speak in some cryptic tongue?

"Suspicious you are!" a wrinkled old man jabbed me with his cane. I recognized him as Sasuke's distant cousin.

"Oh leave me alone grandpa." I grumbled, storming off. This time I would succeed. My honor ninja depended on it.

Up, up, and away!

-

-

"Ugly? What are you doing?"

"Shhh!" I clamped a hand over Sai's mouth. I was peeking into the windows of a restaurant, watching Itachi of course. It was a very nice place with the kind of food that would take two of my paychecks to cover. I saw Itachi seated by himself ensconced in a corner with two different courses in front of him. One was some kind of pasta and the other… the other was a shrimp cocktail. I swallowed to keep myself from drooling. My Achilles heel is shrimp cocktail.

"You didn't answer my question." Sai said blankly, pulling his mouth out of reach.

"I'm watching someone okay?"

He blinked, unsurprised. He was taller than me, but not by much. He looked much taller because of his lean figure clothed in all black. Unlike Sasuke his older brother did not influence his fashion senses. He just wore black because it was comfortable. "Why?"

"Because…" I said, as though that made everything alright.

Sai crouched down beside me, peeking in. "You like Itachi?"

That was the first time anyone accused me of having more than platonic feelings for the older Uchiha. I opened my mouth to reject it, but my eyes inadvertently found their way back to him. He was a good friend, a great training partner, we got along well, and he was very attractive… not good. Rule #4 in the 007 handbook. Never, ever fall for your target.

"Um…" I stalled.

Sai watched me, whether patiently or mockingly I could not tell. "Um…" he repeated me.

Okay, maybe he was mocking me. The little douche bag. "Sort of."

"Like you like me?"

"No, more than I like you." I liked Gai sensei more than I liked Sai, but I would never say that. He was a decent teammate. He was very frustrating with his whole 'I don't understand human interaction' gig. Sometimes I could swear he knew what he was talking about. He was so tactless I usually avoided going somewhere with him.

I'm not trying to be mean or anything he just really has no tact. Like last fall at a festival where I wore my cutest Kimono and dolled myself up, he loudly pointed out that I wasn't wearing a bra. I knew that of course, I was hoping no one would really notice. All my clothes (bras included) were at the Laundromat. Don't ask how I achieved that. I had to steal Sasuke's jacket and practically glue it to my torso for the rest of the night. Itachi as usual watched with a mildly curious look on his face.

"I see." Sai nodded "Do you love him?"

"Do you ever get tired of being obnoxious?"

"No." he smiled sweetly.

I sighed, tugging Sai down to make sure he remained hidden. "Kakashi sensei sent me a note earlier. He wants to hang out with you at the ramen place. Hurry!"

"No he didn't. He's on a date with Anko."

Foiled! "Well…"

"Sakura." That voice definitely did not belong to Sai. My whole body stiffened. Sai as usual looked up and gave an oblivious smile.

"It's Itachi!" he exclaimed, as if I didn't already know that. He was standing in the doorway a few feet down from us. I wondered if it'd be cruel to punch him, Sai that is.

"Care to join me?" Itachi continued, completely ignoring Sai which, truth be told, is the only thing you can do.

"Um…" I paused, weighing the options. Up close I could probably read him better, but then again, no one could fully read Uchiha Itachi. On the other hand, if I declined that'd mean I would have to spend the evening with Sai. I glanced at my teammate who smiled and opened his mouth. Word to the wise, whenever Sai opens his mouth you know something God-awful and embarrassing will come out.

"Go on! You said you liked him, right?" Case in point.

I could feel every cell in my body cry out in agony, begging for death. My cheeks were on fire. I ducked my head. "Sai…" I growled, "If you are still here when I look up…" I trailed off, leaving his futile mind to fill in the blanks.

"I can see when I'm not wanted." He shrugged. LIAR!

I watched Sai walk off. Okay honestly, a person walking off is not that interesting. It did give me a couple minutes to will my burning cheeks into cooling down. It also prevented me from having to make eye contact with Itachi. I knew for sure that he heard Sai. His super senses would've easily picked that up. As soon as this night ends, I'm going to kill him.

Itachi, however, being the handsome, dreamy, wonderful, gentleman that he is acted as though Sai hadn't anything. I would have believed his pretense if his glorious dark eyes weren't burning into me. "Come in."

Honestly, who could say no to that? My feet trudged forward, dragging the rest of my body inside the restaurant, past the staring patrons, and into the little seat in the corner. Itachi seated himself smoothly, nudging the shrimp cocktail towards me. My eyes widened. It was like he planned it or something! Was that why he ordered two separate dishes?

He was watching me "Something wrong?"

"Ughwemoolah." Was my intelligent response. I gotta work on that vocabulary.

His lips twitched upwards. "I thought you'd be hungry." He took a mouthful of his pasta.

"How did you know?" I demanded, forgetting that this was Konoha's most powerful shinobi, and that he could very well snatch the shrimp cocktail away.

His lips twitched again. His dark eyes were boring into mine, his long bangs brushing them. "You're not as good of a secret agent as you make yourself out to be. You need to work on your sneaking skills."

My cheeks flushed again. He knew! He knew the whole time! I wished that I could bury my head in the ground like Ostrich's do in times of danger. It's a stupid practice, but it'd make me feel better. I diverted my attention somewhere, anywhere. Huh? I double checked a table on the opposite side of the restaurant. Bushy silver hair.

Kakashi was here. He would save me.

"Don't interrupt his date." Itachi said, already guessing my intentions.

I sighed bringing my gaze back to him. Just then the waitress came up. She was short, dark haired, and fairly pretty. "Would you like anything else?" she asked him.

"We're not even done yet." I pointed out the obvious.

The girl glared such hatred at me I almost ran away crying. Of course I wouldn't. I was a shinobi. A professional. "I didn't ask you." She snarled.

Whoa, meow.

"No need to get all freaky on me." I held up my hands in the universal 'don't throw the kunai at me' gesture. "I was just pointing something out, something that you as a waitress should've noticed. I mean, what else could we have used? You weren't offering him sex were you?" I noticed her cheeks flushing. I was on a roll. When I say roll I mean desperate rant used to distract myself from the uber hot guy across the table from me "That would be kind of wrong. You could get fired you know… hey wait, where are you going? I'd like a refill on my water please!" Too late, she was long gone.

"That was rude." I huffed, turning to an amused looking Itachi.

"Why were you following me earlier?" he said, snapping me back to reality. My little emergency rant hadn't worked. He wanted answers.

I sighed, folding my arms on the table, my cocktail long forgotten. "Okay, the truth is…" and once again 007 blurted out her secret. I guess at this point I'm fired. I was no longer 007, just Sakura, plain old kunoichi.

"Interesting." Was all he said.

Yeah, that explains a lot.

"You want to know my deepest secret?" he mused pushing his plate to the side as well. It bumped into mine with a clink. "Very well, I shall tell you. I cannot leave a fellow shinobi hanging can I?"

Gosh, he sure was talkative today. I leaned forward eagerly, my eyes growing large. His deepest secret! I wasn't going to be gossiped about! I would win the slumber party dare and regain my honor as a shinobi! I blinked. What was this?

There was a strange pressure on my lips and Itachi's face was suddenly really close. It took my super slow brain a good two seconds to realize something. He was kissing me. Oh my god. HE WAS KISSING ME! His fingertips gently grazed my jaw line until he cupped my face, bringing me closer.

My eyes fluttered shut and I melted into a pile of pink haired goo. My heartbeat was going at a million beats a second. The restaurant faded out of existence and I was only aware of three things. Him, myself, and the feeling of his amazingly soft lips against mine. He didn't push things any further. It was strictly PG kiss, which was fine with me. I didn't have too much experience in that area. With any luck, he'd be giving me lessons.

He pulled away, brushing my lips once more, before he put the usual distance between us. My vision was all hazy; I was seeing two Itachi's, which face it, isn't such a bad concept. "Buh…"

"My deepest secret…" he said once more, I was impressed that he could speak clearly. "Is that I'm completely in love with Haruno Sakura."

I stared at him hopelessly, still unable to form words. I watched as his eyes and facial expression went carefully blank. "Now you can complete your dare." He muttered, standing up and leaving the restaurant as only an Uchiha could.

I was gaping like a fish out of water. My mouth opened, then shut, opened, and then shut. Holy cow! Itachi…and me…and the dare…and…oh my God.

It all made sense! Sasuke's cryptic words, Tenten stopping mid-sentence, Itachi always training me, Itachi giving me weird looks whenever I showed his younger brother any affection… Whoa was he, dare I say, jealous? I felt a strange sense of feminine pride. Me, Haruno Sakura, landing the most powerful man in Konoha, and probably the world… but that wasn't what mattered. Itachi mattered. He was one of the strongest, most dependable persons I knew. He was respectable, kind (in his own way), and I realized I enjoyed every moment we spent together. If only I had noticed this earlier! No wonder Sasuke called me dumb! I was the dumbest secret agent of all time! The real 007 would be so ashamed…

The waitress came by my table and slammed a pitcher of water down near my face. The sound of wood cracking was enough to snap me out of my reverie "Don't touch the table! I'll be right back!" I called desperately as I leapt out the booth and ran like mad towards the door where I saw our favorite Uchiha last.

Itachi wasn't too far from the restaurant. He was walking off, a good distance away. As usual his posture belied nothing.

I pushed more chakra to my legs, speeding myself up until I reached him. "Hey!" I called loudly. His back stiffened.

Like a true gentleman, he turned around, his face still holding that careful mask. I felt disappointed. I liked the Itachi who spent time with me, not the emotionless shinobi he was portraying. "Yes? Did you need something?" he reached into his wallet "Pardon me for forgetting the bill…"

"You wanna know my deepest secret?" I asked, cutting him off before he could escape me again.

He stared at me for a long time. I guess that was his consent to proceed. Stupid Uchiha and their lack of vocabulary.

I took a step closer, followed by another step. It was dark outside, but my skilled eyes could make out his every feature. A half crescent moon graced the sky, sending a natural light which mixed with the artificial glow of lamps across the city. "I have a major thing for Uchiha Itachi."

There. I said it. Confession really does do the old heart some good. I wasn't half as scared as before. I was hiding nothing.

His stoic mask slowly crumpled. His lips lifted slightly and his dark eyes softened a bit. I realized he was pleased. Come on, what were you expecting? A Chesire Cat grin?

"Really…" he murmured, coming closer. His fingertips grazed my hairline as he brushed my hair back. Disappointingly enough he didn't catch me in his arms, dip me, and kiss me like there was no tomorrow. We would have to work on our PDA.

Out of the corner of my eye I could see several civilians pause and watch. Darned people. "You know…" I began conversationally "We never really finished our date."

Itachi stroked my hair once more "You're right." He held out his arm, which lets be honest, really surprised me. I knew the Uchiha were anal about manners but never expected this much. He was such a perfect gentleman. It was a nice contrast to Rock Lee who looked for any excuse to hug me. Let's be honest here, no one wants to be hugged by a guy in spandex. I mean I'm mere inches away from… let's just change the subject.

I looped my arm through his and grinned brightly. Together, we walked back into the restaurant. Despite my 007 attempts to avoid being gossiped about, I knew I'd be on national headlines by tomorrow. You know what, that was okay. I didn't care anymore. What really mattered was the man seated across from me, listening with an amused expression on his face as I related one of my many funny training accident stories.

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***Somewhere across Konoha… dun, dun, dun, duuuun**

"I-I-Ino-chan! I double dog d-dare you t-to steal some of Sh-Shikamaru's clothes and wear th-them all day!"

-cue dramatic music-

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**End Story**

**Yet another one of my many brain-farts. I wanted to portray a different Sakura, in a different world, yadda yadda yadda. I liked this enough and I hope you do too. I totally made this up as I went along, so please don't accuse me of being a crackpot writer. **

**I'll probably update any other stories in a week or so. I'm pretty busy right now. I'm juggling two jobs, an Easter program, taking care of a household of seven (my parents and my four siblings), and teaching my church's VBS with my older brothers girlfriend (who is way awesome by the way). Please forgive my tardiness.**

**PLEASE REVIEW!!! EVEN IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, REVIEW FOR ME SINCE I JUST TURNED SIXTEEN! It'd be an awesome (late) birthday gift. For all you who care my B-day was on the 6****th****. **


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